The present invention relates to containers, and more particular to beverage can ends suitable for use with carbonated beverages.
Twelve-ounce size aluminum beverage cans are produced in vast quantities for holding carbonated soft drinks and beer. Beverage cans include a can body on which a can end is attached by a seam.
The most popular opening mechanism for beverage cans is a stay-on-tab that opens a hinged tear panel. The tear panel is formed by a score in the center panel of the end. The tab is affixed to the can end by a rivet that is in the center of the end. Commercial two piece beverage can end shells are formed by a shell press from a flat blank, which typically is made of a 5000 series aluminum alloy. The shells then enter a conversion press where a stay-on-tab is affixed to the center panel of the end by a rivet. A finished beverage can end is seamed onto a can body after being filled with a beverage.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,992 (Sedgeley), entitled “Double Hinged Opening For Container End Members” discloses a central rivet and an elongated tear panel that is opened in a multiple step process. United States Patent Application Publication 20120031056A1 (Chasteen), entitled “Container End Closure With Optional Secondary Vent Opening,” discloses a conventionally sized tear panel, which is referred to as a large opening end or LOE, plus a vent that is actuated after twisting the tab.
The industry convention of can sizes employs three digits to represent inches and the quantity of 16th inches. Thus, a 211 can body has a nominal 2 and 11/16 inch diameter. As is understood in the art, and as employed throughout this disclosure, nominal beverage can end sizes do not refer to exact measurements to the outside of the seam. Rather, the nominal size is an industry standard that no longer corresponds to exact diameter because the beverage industry switched to the seaming technology generally referred to as a “mini-seam.” In this regard, the nominal size refers generally to the diameter of the outside of the seam plus reduction in the diameter corresponding with the change from an old double seam to a modern, mini-seam.